Thursday, May 19, 2011

Foment.

It means to start up or initiate, especially an insurrection.

Alright, time for round dos! (2!) = 2
[it actually does... 2*1=2 ;) ]

Hmm.... Lets see. Love is pretty great huh? Otherwise we would not use the word 'love' to describe the things we care about most, or like most, would we? But what is love, really? Is love simply caring about someone a lot, or is it liking someone a lot? (I am sticking with love between two people because I do not want anyone talking about how they love nachos or something else like that :P) Is love being really really nice to a person? Is love smiling at someone, even when they hurt you? Is love telling a person that you agree with them, even if you may not? Is love encouraging someone to keep doing what they are doing, even if what they are doing is not what you think is best?

I suppose here is where I am leading: Is love polite, or is love honest? Can it be both, or neither? But, suppose you had to make a decision: being kind (polite) or being harsh (honest). Which one would love (real, honest to goodness love) show?

6 comments:

  1. I would say love can be both, neither or any choice. Let me explain, I don't see love as a finite word with a finite meaning, but rather as a fluid word (at least in practice). It fulfills whatever role is needing to be fulfilled for the other person's benefit.

    That's how I would define Love, actions that are meant to benefit the object being acted upon.

    In your question you asked is love being polite or is love being harsh? I would say that there is a time for everything. For example, if someone you love is doing an activity that is ultimately causing harm to him/herself it would be for their greater benefit for you to be honest to them. You are showing that you really care about them, that you love them.

    Often times being kind/polite does give satisfaction to the other person, which they may interpret as being 'more loving' than a rebuking/honest action, but which is showing more love to them? Can, when being polite/kind, we slip into an enabler role where we put off long-term wellbeing for short-term happiness? Is this love?

    Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
    Prov 27:5

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  2. Travis- I never thought of how love is fulfilling a role that the other person needs to have fill...but I think it makes sense. After all, when I tell someone that I love them, I feel like I'm telling them that because they seem to complete something in my life.

    But anyhow....I'm not sure love can be only kindness or only honesty. Kindness is necessary because if you're always being harsh with your honesty, then you're going to make the person turn away. But if your never honest, then how will the person know your love is real?

    But, what if a way of being kind was being honest? And what if a way of being honest was also a way of being kind?
    After all, it is kind to be honest and I would hope that you are honestly kind. :)

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  3. wow, i'm glad you narrowed that down from possibly the broadest question ever. so are you essentially asking "if you love someone, do you tell them they look great in the dress or tell the truth and tell them they look fat?"

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  4. Jessica--hahaha! I miss your sarcasm. And I miss those discussions you had with Nick (which I don't feel were actually discussions. It was more like Nick would say something and then you'd come back with some sarcastic comment or yell at him. And Nick would laugh and then continue on with saying something else.) Good times! :D

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  5. Jessica, the answer to your question is easy: You tell your girl that she looks great in that dress, that way you are being both kind and honest ;)
    Girls don't seem to realize it, but they are very, very pretty.
    Also, I could come up with a broader question: What do you think?

    Travis, I like the examples you give, and I think you answered that question quite fully! haha thank you for that :)

    McKinzie, I think I remember a few of those 'conversations' and they were quite interesting to me as well! Too bad we won't be able to do that as much next year...but I'm sure we will have hang out times again :)

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